Nearly a year after Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula revealed that their marriage was over, the former Summer House couple still has not officially started divorce proceedings. Batula said the intense reaction from fans toward Cooke made it even more difficult to move forward with the split.
She said that she didn’t like seeing people criticize her marriage
Their often-rocky relationship unfolded in front of viewers on Summer House, with many fans urging Batula to leave Cooke. Although those comments affected her, she said they also made her cautious about ending the marriage because she needed to know the decision was based entirely on her own feelings.
In an interview with Marie Claire, Batula said the public criticism initially made her angry before leaving her feeling sad and uncertain. She explained that the constant outside opinions contributed to the delay, since she wanted to be completely confident that the choice came from her—not from the show’s producers, loved ones or viewers.
Batula acknowledged that shutting out the criticism was far from easy.
She said that, in hindsight, she might have ended the relationship sooner if she had been able to tune out the reaction. But the sheer volume of comments questioning why she and Cooke were together made that nearly impossible to ignore over the years.
Kyle Cooke admitted that he hasn’t filed for divorce from Amanda Batula
Cooke later confirmed at Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea Awards that he and Batula still had not formally begun the divorce process. Speaking to E! News, he attributed the delay to both of them being occupied with their own schedules.
Cooke described the process as moving slowly, saying that both he and Batula had been busy while continuing to work through the remaining details.
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He also suggested that the seriousness of the necessary divorce conversations had encouraged them to postpone them.
Cooke admitted that formal discussions about ending a marriage are uncomfortable and said there may be a part of both of them that has put them off. Still, he maintained that they will eventually make the separation official and complete the legal paperwork.
He said he enjoyed being single on this season of ‘Summer House’
Batula is no longer part of the Summer House cast, while Cooke appeared in the show’s most recent season. He said being separated changed his outlook on filming and gave him a renewed sense of freedom.
Cooke explained that he had carried significant stress for years, but felt as though that burden lifted after the separation. Without feeling the need to apologize for his choices, he said he was finally able to relax and act more like himself.
He also enjoyed the fact that the entire cast was single.
According to Cooke, the season’s single status across the cast helped the series reconnect with its original spirit. He said he had a great time and viewed the dynamic as a return, in some ways, to the show’s roots.
Cooke said he embraced the lighter, more carefree side of summer and credited those around him with supporting that change.
He added that people repeatedly told him the new direction suited him, leaving him grateful for the chance to travel, film and enjoy whatever came next.